The present invention relates to a transport system for transport of containers, in particular to an airport baggage handling system.
German Patent publication DE 199 21 131 A1 describes a switch for a transport system having in transport direction of the containers an entry zone which leads to a switch zone for directing the containers into a desired direction. Following the switch zone is an exit zone from which the containers move in the selected direction. The transport of the containers takes place in a horizontal support plane which is formed by cylindrical rollers. A change in direction of the containers in the switch zone is realized by a group of cooperating modules. Each of the modules includes a rolling body for support of the containers during their advance. The rolling bodies of the modules are hereby swingably supported about a vertical axis via a control mechanism.
It is also known to urge containers to move in a desired direction by means of central guide rails on which guide rollers run that are mounted to the container. As the transport direction of the container does not entirely coincide with the driving direction of the driving rollers, increased wear is encountered. The constraint guidance of the containers takes place spotwise and requires metal insets in the container so that a full screening of the containers in an X-ray machine becomes impossible.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved transport system with at least one switch to obviate prior art shortcomings and to ensure a substantially frictionless horizontal guidance of the containers in nay intended direction while still being simple in structure.